Prologue
"What is all this damn racket about?" Jace questioned Alec who shrugged, obvious that his parabatai didn't know a thing.
"I don't know, Jace. Mom just called us down to the library. She sounded like she was going to faint … or throw up," Alec said, pushing dark hair out of his eyes.
"By the Angel, if Sebastian isn't dead - again - I will freaking scream at the whole bloody Conclave," Jace growled, thinking of the dead, faired-headed demon boy that had controlled Jace and almost killed Clary. Even though Sebastian had been destroyed by the Heavenly Fire, leaving Jonathan Morgenstern in his place, he still couldn't help the absolute hatred he had for the fair-haired boy.
Jace and Alec burst into the library, stopping dead in their tracks.
Jocelyn was in a corner, sobbing her eyes out while being supported by Luke who was pale and had tears running down his face. Isabelle was crumpled in a heap on the floor near Hodge's old desk, crying quietly to herself. Maryse was staring at a piece of parchment paper, looking like she did want to throw up.
"What the freaking, bloody hell is going on? Why are you crying like a bunch of old ninnies watching Downton Abbey or something?" Jace demanded, an uneasy feeling rolling in his stomach. He ran a hand through his hair while Alec darted over to where Isabelle was huddled up, whispering in her ear.
Jocelyn's eyes snapped up to his at the sound of his voice and she slowly made her way over to him, her sobbing momentarily stopped.
"Jocelyn?" Jace asked, looking at the woman. She had grown warmer to him since their final battle with Sebastian, finally accepting him. I guess she accepted the fact that Jace was going to be around for a long, long time.
At this moment, Jace could only think of one reason why everyone was crying. Why Jocelyn and Isabelle were reacting like this.
"Has Simon been hurt?" Jace said, feeling sick. He and Simon had grown much, much closer too, with help from his Clary of course, and a persistent Isabelle. Though he still had his name calling habits.
Thinking of Clary, Jace wondered where she was now in LA. What she was doing there, only the Angel knew.
Jocelyn broke into grieving, heartbreaking sobs again, hugging Jace like how a mother would hug a son.
"To lose one now the other?" Jocelyn sobbed desperately, clutching onto Jace like her life depended on it.
"Would someone freaking tell me what the hell is going on?!" Jace growled, holding Jocelyn up before the woman could slide to the floor.
"It's not Simon, Jace," Maryse choked out. She shakily strode over to Jace - her cool and calm composure that was always carried by the Lightwoods gone - and handed him the letter she had been reading. The official stamp of the Council was visible and Jace dared himself to carry on reading.
To: The members of the New York Institute
From: Consul Ravenshade
It is with great grief, sorrow and heavy hearts that we pass the news to you that Clarissa Adele Fairchild - who has served the Clave extremely well in our immortal war against demons - has been defeated in battle against a mass group of Draconidea demons in Los Angeles, where was stationed last. Condolences to family and her comrades in battle. She will forever be remembered by the members of the Clave as a legendary warrior and uniter of the Nephilim and Downworlders.
Ave atque vale, Clarissa Fairchild.
Yours truly,
Consul Ravenshade
Jace's hand shook as Luke pried his wife away from Jace, his face glistening with freshly shed tears of sorrow. He knew what 'defeated in battle' meant. It was Clave talk for not just losing a fight but -
"It's Clary, Jace. She's gone."
Silence.
"No … no, NO!" Jace cried in a sudden outburst, leaping away from everyone. "I would have felt it," he gasped. But he knew there was no way could have physically felt it. They weren't parabatai or married. But Jace expected himself to feel something - anything. An uncomfortable feeling in his being, something troubling his thoughts - anything. But zilch. Zero. Nothing.
Jace felt a tear run down his cheek and he didn't move to wipe it away even if the moisture made him look weak - he just stared sightlessly ahead. He didn't think he could ever do anything ever again.
"Jace," Alec said, his face grief stricken too. "I'm so sorry."
"She's gone, Jace. My parabatai," Isabelle sobbed, showing him her faded parabatai run. It was a shimmery scar, telling Jace that Izzy's other half was inactive. Gone. "She's gone."
It was true then.
"Jace!" Alec gasped but his voice sounded so far away … so distant. He only wanted one person now, but she was gone.
Jace felt the sensation of falling and being caught by someone - who, he didn't know. Or care.
"Kill me, Alec," Jace begged, realising it was his parabatai who caught him. "Kill me. I need to be with her." He could hear the desperation in his voice, the heart shattering grief and anguish. No, it was more than that. More than his body could comprehend at a single moment, more than any human being had experienced in their whole lifetime.
"I won't. Not like this. No, Jace," Alec said, defiantly, biting back tears.
The last thing Jace saw before darkness carried him away into a peaceful, carefree void, was the piercing, loving green eyes of the girl he loved the most in the world. The only girl he would ever love in the world. Forever. His perfect little angel.
A/N - First, as usual, all credits go to the amazing Cassandra Clare. In this book Clary and Jace or not married (yet) but Clary and Isabelle are parabatai (there is a reason it is Isabelle and not Simon. I'll explain later on) At the moment, Jace is eighteen almost nineteen so you can do the maths for the other characters. I know Jace is only about to turn seventeen in CoHF but this story timeline is where Jace has been seventeen from book one.
Thanks for reading!